Oh yeah; that heat will NOT be good for your bronchial issues at all. Neither will be getting caught in a storm. I do def feel encouraged by your recent upturn in health though; I think you are on to something really good here.

And by the way, WOW!!! I just looked at that link, HOLY COW you are doing a lot of walking!!!! !!!

Project: Balance Checking and Savings accounts
Status: Done until next time

Checking went about as well as can be hoped for. I forgot to enter one Amazon transaction into my computerized ledger, but that was easily corrected. As to Savings, I normally have no transactions there other than monthly interest. It would be extremely hard to goof this up. I didn't.


Project: Health
Status: Ongoing

Today's exercise-walk was marred by stiff, sore leg calves. My energy level was low too, but I did complete the entire course. On the other hand, today's (pathetically light) weight-lift / Bullworker session went very well, certainly better than Thursday's. (I work with weights/Bullworker every other day. This is the first time I've attempted non-walking exercise in any serious way since late 2008.)

This past Monday I began adding a small amount of well-rinsed minced garlic to my breakfast avocado/egg blend. It's too soon to know if it has any overtly noticeable beneficial effects.

Project: Improve health
Status: Ongoing

Added several new lifts to Sunday's weight session. That went well enough. However, Tuesday's session did go so well. Weights came off okay, but I burned out partway through my Bullworker exercises. Thankfully, today's session went well, both weights and Bullworker. Today's walk went well too. Yesterday's, not so much, I walked the entire course, back lacked energy and enthusiasm.

As of now, the entirety of tomorrow and the day after are predicted to be rainy and/or stormy. Then again, today was too, and I had ample time for my walk. I carried an umbrella with me. It wasn't needed.

Writing Project

Status: We are live.

Challenge Accepted

You will see some familiar names in unfamiliar places. Print version will be forthcoming for those who prefer physical media.

None of this would have happened without the many great folks here at Chorrol. Thank you all, my friends.

Congrats, trey!

WHOOP congratulations, treydog!!!! Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!

Awesome! Congrats!

Gratz!

Did you post your work here on the forum at some point? There are times I'm tempted to post my original fic in places, but I don't want to do so on a site that Google indexes (which Chorrol is, so far as I know). But maybe I'm overthinking this.

I posted the fan fiction, but only a few excerpts of the original (now published) work. And Google definitely indexes Chorrol... so yes, there is a chance someone's original work could be co-opted.

Fabulous! Just added it to my wishlist over at Amazon UK! Roll on the 28th!

Garlic? Isn't that for keeping vampires away? Did it work?








Don't push yourself too hard on the weight lifting, etc. For your own health's sake you have to work in slow increments up to a level, not jump up to it and most def don't try to do too much too fast. That can be detrimental.








Awesome!!!!

Friday night challenge. Relax, with a nice cup of tea and something good to read...



Challenge accepted!

It gives me so much happiness to see that! That is especially so as you are one of my earliest readers from way back in the dawn of the original Trey stories, Burnt Sierra.

Thank you for your support then and for reading this newest effort.

On a "meta" (I think that's the word- still trying to get a handle on this 21ist Century terminology) level, there are currently 4 titles in the Unnamed series.

Book 1- Challenge Accepted
Book 2- Separate Paths
Book 3- Ancient Powers
Book 4- Dark Visions

After that- well, I am not sure. There will be more, possibly for a total run approaching... 6 or 7?

But what matters most is the encouragement and inspiration my Chorrol family has given. THAT is what made actual, independent novels possible.

Looking in the mirror each morning while brushing my teeth, I've yet to see any telltale bite marks on my neck, so assume it's doing its job. Also, I've not been bitten by mosquitos during any of this year's exercise-walks.



Have no fear in this regard. I began with what most would term super light weights. I've since added a tiny amount more to "some" lifts, only after the original amount became comfortably easy. A few sessions ago added I push-ups to my resistance routine. That's a different kettle of fish. Even during my mid-late twenties prime, I wasn't all that good at them. It's been decades since I last attempted any. As expected, I now lack the strength for even one "true" push-up. The best I can manage is to start in the raised position and lower myself only a small amount. Any deeper and I crash unceremoniously to the floor. First session, I managed three sets of four each of those. Today's session, my third, I managed two sets of eight and one set of seven, crashing on seven when I dipped too low.

Let us know if your reflection disappears; I know a Count in Skingrad who will help you cure that, (or might know some vampire hunters)

Is the garlic really helping you with the mosquitos? I may need to start eating it too. We have been having a HUGE mosquito problem this year.

Mosquito repelling is one of a number of benefits often attributed with consuming garlic. Has it directly prevented them from biting me this year? I can't affirm that with absolute certainty. Any number of factors might contribute, plain good luck among them. Also, as more streets are created in my area (there's a new one below the southernmost street on my exercise-walk map) derelict crop fields are receding further into the distance. I'm no longer able to hear mosquito buzzing unless one alights on my ear, so can't tell if they are out-and-about but not biting, or not around at all. I'd be surprised if the latter was true, but can't rule it out. I also can't rule out that garlic consumption doesn't contribute to the mix. The best I can say it that it's worth a shot. If it doesn't pan out you'll at least have the comfort of knowing you're safer from vampires.

Actually, even that is uncertain. According to Vicente Valtieri (Oblivion), it is simply an urban myth that vampires are somehow affected by garlic. But you may ward off unwanted kisses...

So, rather than doing actual writing on Book 4, I decided to get sucked into the black hole of graphic design. Because, sure, why not? (Sigh.)

After fiddling with a couple of free online programs (which were not... "bad"... but also don't offer as much capability), I listened to my wife the artist, who has done digital as well as "traditional" painting. (Don't you just hate it when your Significant Other makes sense- AND you have to admit it?)

So .....Challenge Accepted

And....

Separate Paths

All that said, Book 4 is at about 34,000 words... so... progress.

Project: Buy a house in England

Status: Complete.

Of course, it's an empty house, which starts next project: furnish a house enough to live in before I actually move back from the USA.

Pictures etc. once I get Internet connected up. I'm using my sister's for this.

Congrats, ghastley! Hope all goes well with the new house/move, etc.

That's a big project, ghastley! Wishing you good fortune and a smooth transition. America's loss is England's gain....

We will have to arrange a Chorrol house-warming party for you.

Congrats on the move! Time to celebrate with some fish and chips, and a bag of crisps.

Ghastly, congratulations on the house in England. That is some move you are planning. Here’s hoping that your move goes smoothly. You mentioned moving back to England, how long have you been away in the USA?

Good luck with your project, ghastley! It sure isn't a minor one

Only 37 years. Not long enough to pick up an accent, I hope.

Just remember: it's a "car park", not a "parking lot"; it's a "pavement", not a "side walk"; and it's a plug "bank", not "list". Also, don't walk around in your pants.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Welcome back! Mind the gap now.

Project: Health/wellness/diet
Status: Ongoing, with slight snag

Since last report, I have 1) increased my near-daily exercise-walks from circa 2.34miles to circa 2.6miles, 2) added new lifts to my every-other-day lifting routine, 3) slightly increased the amount of weight I lift. That's to the good, though I'm struggling after my most recent weight-lift increase, which is to be expected.

What I didn't anticipate is that my current diet regimen, implemented early this year, around a month ago ceased to provide enough fuel to keep me at my desired weight, nor give me the energy to comfortably execute my walking/lifting sessions. It hasn't caused me to slack off, not one bit, but transformed my sessions from something I looked forward to into chores. Nor is my weight dangerously low. It's just lower than I want it to be, which doesn't help further increase muscle mass, one of my goals.

As a corrective, some weeks back I added a new side-dish to my breakfast: a blend of salmon, garlic and mushroom, flavored with black pepper, chili powder, a dab of salt, a teaspoon of EVOO, and a small amount of yellow mustard. That not proving sufficient, this week I increased my daily breakfast bacon-slice count from three to five.

It's too soon to know if this will allow me to begin regaining weight, but my last several walks/lifts went very well, almost as well as pre body-weight drop. The one disagreeable thing about all this is that each breakfast addition increases a monthly food allowance that has tended to go over budget since those changes enacted early this year. Still, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, and I have a little wiggle-room when it comes to shifting my various monthly budget locations. With this week's bacon monetary increase, that wiggle-room has further diminished, but is not yet overly worrisome.


Project: Survive Pulmonology Visit
Status: Survived

Most of my Pulmonology visits are simple six-month check-in, to tell the doc know I'm alive and kicking, and how my battle with Chronic Bronchiectasis is fairing. That happened this time. Additionally, I was subjected to chest X-rays and a breathing test, which happens once every three to four years. Depending on their outcomes, I might be subject to more strenuous and costly medical treatments. Luckily, this visit's results show that I have not substantially worsened since my last, 2019, testing. In fact, my breathing is slightly better now than then in most areas. (The doc says my Bronchiectasis remains "mild".)

ghastley, congratulations!! I hope project furnishings and project internet are going well.



Decrepit, fingers crossed for no follow-up tests this time!

Project: Adding maps to the books.

Progress: Wrestled with a "freeware with premium option" online cartography program which constantly nagged me with pop-ups for the paid version... urgh! Would have been acceptable if the program had been even slightly intuitive.

Went to the next option from the "Top 10 Fantasy Map-Making Programs" to try it. Watched some tutorials and took the plunge.

Result: Wonderdraft is 30 USD and works quite well for my needs. I was able to sketch out a usable map with terrain features, towns and cities, rivers, and trails all marked. It works in color (for the Kindle version), but also in black and white.

For those who are doing tabletop RPG campaigns, it also includes grid or hex overlays, and a wealth of symbols to enhance your map.

ETA- Here is the map.

Project: Improve Health
Status: Ongoing

My forearms are sticks, as my 2023 photo attests. The other day, it came to me that none of the numerous weighted/resistance exercises I've been doing these past some months focus on forearms. A quick YT search unearth a number of forearm exercises vids. I chose one that requires dumbbells, those being what I have at home. I gave two exercises a try. Neither seemed to do anything while executing them. But, at the end my forearms stung something fierce! A good sign. I'll likely do these on the days I otherwise don't lift weights.

I've stopped doing "full" push-ups and now do "knee" push-ups. They are a struggle too, but I'm now able to lower myself almost to the floor (rather than only a few inches) without crashing to the carpet. Three sets of eight. Nine is totally beyond me.

Good on ya, Decrepit. As a lifelong gym rat, I applaud you.

Project: Improve Health
Status: Setbacks

Setback 1:
I must have done something to my back whilst helping my bro close three hard-to-reach-and-manipulate, frozen-in-place water control knobs below his kitchen sink. I did the manual labor. He held a flashlight. It proved a long, arduous process. I noticed nothing amiss during the proceedings. I noticed nothing amiss the remainder of that day. I noticed nothing amiss next morning. I noticed nothing amiss during a midday exercise walk. Then, lying on the sofa reading that afternoon, reaching for my eyeglass cleaning cloth, I was suddenly hit by intense lower back pain. The pain stayed with me the rest of that day, thankfully severe only when I did certain movements/actions.

Woke this morning to lessened pain. It bothered me during this morning's weighted-exercise workout, but not enough to force me to terminate/shorten the session. Intense pains resumed during the afternoon. What's more, its area-of-effect now extends further upward (right side only). I intend this setback to affect my workouts/walks as little as possible, but we shall see.

Setback 2:
My refrigerator stopped cooling something during the tail end of week-before-last. As its freezer compartment continued to cool normally, I spent a few days convincing myself that the reefer's seeming lack of cooling power was a figment of my imagination. Finally facing reality, I called a local appliance repair service first thing this past Wednesday morning. Was given a Friday service appointment. Come Friday, the service called and told me that the repairman was sick and not making service visits. Was rescheduled for today (Monday).

Today's visit found that the freezer compartment fan, which sends cool air to the refrigerator-proper, is dead. A new fan is on order. It'll be sometime next week before it is installed. Until then, I'm reeferless. (The good news is that fan replacement, while not inexpensive, is amongst the cheapest reefer issues to fix.)

How does this affect health????? I now eat a diet comprised almost wholly of fresh produce; meat, eggs, berries, some veggies, milk. Some of this can be safely stored in the freezer. Some can't. I've not yet figured out affordable alternates for my reefer-only items. One thing for sure, I will NOT reintroduce any "foods" jettisoned for health reasons. Yet I don't want to starve either. Maybe I'll come up with something, given time.

Sorry to hear about your back and the fridge. Hmm, you might try using a cooler and adding some ice each day (since your freezer still works). That works well on stuff like milk and other fridgables.

I seriously considered a cooler and ice, then completely forgot about it in the heat of battle yesterday (when I went shopping). In any case, I'm not sure I can justify the expense at this point, being as the cooler should now be needed for only a week or so max, and I've run out of space to store bulky items that see little to no usage. Still, had I remembered it when it mattered yesterday afternoon, I might well have taken the plunge, were the price right.

Project: Improve Health/fitness
Status: Ongoing

Had a surprisingly good exercise-walk yesterday. My best in weeks. Maybe my best in months. Not far along brain-fog cleared, so that I was able to indulge in all sorts of mental fantasies while remaining fully aware of potential traffic hazards, all the while strutting along like a proverbial cock-of-the-walk, with a big smile on my face and a friendly wave to passing motorists (including our female mailman, a real cutie). Would that such walks come more often.

Today's walk? Meh. It went okay, with next to no struggle on the steep inclines. But there was nothing special about it. It started. It ended. It served its purpose. That's all it needs to do.

Alas, this might be the last of my comfy-weather walks. I front moves in early tomorrow, bringing appreciably colder weather and three days of rain. I'm not sure how I'll handle cold weather walking. I'm less certain how I'll handle cold-weather walking in the rain. We shall see, I reckon. (I'll obviously not attempt it should precipitation be more than a light-mild shower.)

My dumbbells are becoming a bit too easy to use on most, but not all, lifts. Alas, they are one-piece units, so can't be added to. Not yet sure what I'm going to do about it, beyond finding some way to slightly increase weightage. Weights have gotten way more expensive than when I bought mine many decades ago! I own a barbell rod plus a very minuscule amount of weightage to put on it. Acquiring a couple more weights for it would partially solve the issue. But, I have no barbell bench and nowhere to place/store one. (Which is likely why I got rid of my old bench and most of my weights years ago.)

Lastly, I've a set of exercise bands on order, which will hopefully expand my workout possibilities without eating up free space I don't have.

Project: Fix refrigerator
Status: Huzzah!

I am remiss in reporting that my reefer's broken freezer fan was replaced midday this past Friday. All's well again, food storage wise. To the minus, October's food expenditure went way over budget, thanks to having to throw out and replace lots of items that require constant refrigeration to remain edible, which is almost the whole of what I eat. Come to think on it, tomatoes might now be my sole food item (discounting spices) that don't require refrigeration/freezing. No, wrong! EVOO too doesn't require refrigeration. Nor do avocados, though I find that, beyond a certain point, they tend to become too mushy if not store in the fridge.


Project: Improve fitness/wellness
Status: It's cooooooooooold outside

Cold weather has set in . . . a few days later than predicted, but it's here. These past two days I've bundled myself in sweatpants with shorts over them, heavy tee-shirt with sweatshirt over it and field jacket above that, heavy full-face beanie, gloves, shoes and thick mid-calve socks. That combo worked reasonably well Sunday, but proved a bit too warm yesterday.

Yesterday's walk wasn't the best. Besides slightly overdressing, the backs of my thighs were stiff and sore the first two-thirds of the walk. When they settled down, my knees began to bother me. My timing for the course, which I walked in full, was 5-7min slower than normal. Thankfully, today is our last overly cold day for a while. Tomorrow's temps are predicted to be around ten degrees warmer than today's. That's still on the cold side, but far more bearable. At the very least I hope to dispense with the full-face beanie (but wear a "normal" beanie) and maybe even the field jacket, though I'm not holding my breath.

Glad you got that pesky fridge fixed.

Same on having to carefully select the best walking uniform for the weather as it is getting cold here also. This morning I was in a sweatshirt with waist jacket, sweatpants, ski mittens, watchcap and scarf.

Project: Trim tree branches away from house roof
Status: Stage One complete

I should have done this NLT last year. First setback: learning that my brother had irredeemably totaled his chainsaw during a recent bush trimming. Researching chainsaws, I settled on a battery-powered Royobi and bought one at our local Home Depot. Second setback: Home Depot was out of the model I wanted. Was told it would be in-store ready for pick-up in around a week. That week ended up being two months. By then, late spring had morphed into summer, too hot for me to be doing any extensive heavy yard work. I decided to hold off until Autumn.

Setback three: Come, Autumn, I was hit with frequent episodes of vertigo. By the time those were comfortably behind me, it was too cold for yard work.

Setback four: This Spring, I was so committed to improving my health via diet changes and exercise that I all-but-totally forgot about tree trimming.

This mid-Autumn I remembered the trimming project. Inspecting the tree and my roof showed that I was now living on borrowed time. My original plan this whole time was to borrow a neighbor's ladder, climb atop the roof, and bring down offending branches. The problem? Each time I worked myself up to borrowing a ladder and getting to cutting, reality set in. I'm ludicrously afraid of heights. Working atop a roof is an almost-certain disaster waiting to happen. At the very least, I'd likely need someone to help me down at the end.

As it turns out, I didn't need to climb atop the roof. A neighbor loaned me what I'll term a Tree Trimmer, a mini chainsaw perched atop a long pole, with controls at the opposite end. This, along with a conventional A-frame ladder, let me do what needed doing. It took forever; from just after lunch, which I didn't eat, until supper. What took so long wasn't the cutting itself, but trying to drag cut branches off the roof. Had I been able to work atop the roof, I suspect the project would have been finished in maybe a fourth the time. Be that as it may, finished it is. The roof is safe for another some years. Surprisingly, my only physical setbacks are a very stiff and sore neck and minor upper-back stiffness.

I still need to cut up the several piles of branches lying roughly where they fell, and stack them neatly on the driveway. That's another long project. A project with no sense of urgency involved. It can be done when I get around to it. That means fairly soon, as cold weather is rapidly settling in.

(Next time that tree needs major trimming, I'll likely bring the whole thing to the ground, assuming I still have the strength for it.)

Good job, Decrepit. I'm picking away at tree trimming this winter as well.

Just went for a walk and to take pictures of my old school as I've heard it's up for future demolition due to reasons. Such a shame, but at least I have pics of it now even though not everything looks as they did back then.

Project: Trim Tree Branches away from roof
Status: Phase two complete

Due to the number of branches lying in clumps atop my lawn, I envisioned this as a three-to-four-session project, spread out over as many days. Having rested yesterday to allow my sore neck and upper back a chance to recover, which didn't stop me from doing that morning's weight-lift/resistance session and afternoon walk, today, right after a light forearm exercise session, I started cutting fallen branches to manageable size and carrying them to my driveway.

The largest clump was tackled first, expecting it to be the totality of today's session. Once done, I decided to cut and carry as much of clump two as I could before giving out. When all was said and done I had cut and carried all five clumps. They reside peacefully on the unused side of my driveway/parking slab. Early on my lower back began hurting, but not enough to throw in the towel. (I was tempted to several times.) The right side of my neck is bothering me again. Otherwise, I suffer from nothing worse than expected mild general stiffness/soreness.

As to phase three, carting branches to our town's official burn location, I've no definite plan. As in years past, I'm going to play it by ear and hope things eventually fall into place.


So far as I know, my Grade School and first High School, located in the same complex, are still operational and look much as they did back in the day. (The band building is alas long gone.) My second High School is operational but looks vastly different from what it did when I attended, thanks to being totaled by a tornado three to four years after I graduated. (That same tornado demolished the auto dealership dad worked at and my parents' home.) My Junior High School has been derelict for decades. I don't know how much of its remains, if any, still stand.

Good on you, Decrepit! I have done two rounds of blowing leaves off the roof/out of the gutters so far this autumn, and need to do at least one more. However, as we are having visitors for Thanksgiving, Mrs. Treydog has informed me that I am to wait.

In other news, "Separate Paths," Book 2 of the Unnamed Saga will go live on December 3.

The Unnamed

The ebook version of "Challenge Accepted" (Book 1) will also be available at a promotional price that week.

"Ancient Powers" (Book 3) is undergoing editing, proofreading, and cover design.

"Dark Visions" (Book 4) is about halfway into the first draft (55000 words).

Project: improve health/fitness
Status: <sighs>

This afternoon's exercise-walk was likely my last for an extended period of time, very likely until sometime in March at the earliest. Tomorrow, a rain/storm day, temps begin to turn drastically colder. From Saturday onward, highs are expected to be from the thirties down into the teens for quite a while. No way will I trust myself to walk for extended periods, outdoors, in that sort of weather without facing possibly dire health consequences. Oh well, I knew it had to happen sometime. My hope was that prohibitively cold weather would hold off until the end of the month, as it does some years. On the bright side, I can now hold off buying a new pair of exercise/walking shoes. My current pair don't have many miles left of 'em. Thanks to an extended route and more consistent six-day-per-week walking schedule, they haven't held up as well as previous shoes of the same make/model, which is to be expected. That said, I'll be able to survive the winter wearing them indoors during resistance training sessions.

Project: renewal State Driver's License / Real ID renewal
Status: Running out of time

Having gotten my tags in the mail yesterday, I planned to take care of this sometime next week. But with temps as low as they are expected to be, I might drive to town tomorrow and handle it, storms or no storms. I hope the lady I spoke with on the phone this morning is correct in that I do not need to bring any of the identification paperwork mentioned online.

I really ought to make a grocery run tomorrow too. But my normal grocery run day is Monday, I doubt I can predict what I need for next week this far in advance. Still, I'll think on it.

Project: Renew State Driver License / Real ID be area turns into an ice-skating rink
Status: DONE!

I bet on the Revenue Office opening at 0800, as at least one online site states, rather than 0900, as a different site states. As rarely happens, I made the correct assumption. Arrived circa 0815. Very few customers ahead of me, so very short wait. No info needed to verify I'm me, other than handing in "old" license/ID. Wasn't even asked to take a vision test, a first. Renewed for the max time allowed, eight years, which cost me $40US. (Car Tags have already been renewed, online.)


Project: Get groceries before the area turns into an ice-skating rink.
Status: DONE!, I hope

Drove to Wally World immediately after getting new License/ID. Got everything on my list except Tomatoes, which I forgot, and Frozen Cauliflower, which they were out of. (I likely have enough cauliflower on hand to last through the end of next week, if I'm careful.)

To my knowledge, this morning's worst SNAFU was letting the receipt for my License/ID slip out of my hand while carrying groceries from the car to the house. Naturally, it fell into a puddle of water and is pretty thoroughly disintegrated. Why didn't I put it in a jacket pocket rather than leave it sitting on a car seat? I know why, but some things are best left unsaid.

Yes, I've avoided the beginning of too-cold weather, barring some unanticipated emergency that requires an immediate response that can only be enacted away from home.

Project: Prepare and File 2023 Fed & State tax returns
Status: Done, and I was right to be skeptical of last year's drastic reduction of tax withheld on my Military Pension


Prepared and e-filed State & Fed tax returns via TurboTax this morning. You likely don't recall that, fairly early last year, I received a pay statement from DOD in which tax-withheld from my military pension had been drastically reduced, that I called the appropriate agency and was unable get a to satisfactory justification for said reduction, and that I restored most of the reduction via my retirement account's "Additional Income tax Withheld" function. It's a darn good thing I did so! Had I not, I'd have owed hundreds on this year's Fed Tax return. As it is, even with my adjustment, I'm getting a Fed refund of roughly $235. On the other hand, I get $420 back from the state, basically everything I paid in. (My state no longer taxes either Social Security income or Military Pensions. I like to pay a little into the system anyway, just in case.)

Firewooding 2024 update

Don't be fooled however; we got snow again now...

Which logging camp in Skyrim is that?

I don't know, but here is another pic

My hat's off to you. The ends of those logs are so smooth it's obvious you separated them in one axe chop!